Early-Stage Companies Encouraged to Apply for Investment and Strategic Support

SEATTLE, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Climate resilience is no longer a future challenge. It is an urgent threat to the systems communities depend on for energy, water, and food. E8, a membership community of accredited investors specializing in cleantech, launched its 2026 Decarbon8 Impact Fund Request for Applications (RFA), seeking early-stage companies focused on climate resilience solutions across grid, water, and food. Applications are open through June 18, 2026.

"Climate resilience is as demanding of our capital, creativity, and commitment as climate mitigation," said Marina Psaros, E8 Member & Decarbon8 Manager. "Decarbon8 is focused on finding and supporting innovators who are strengthening the grid, water, and food systems that people depend on every day."

Selected companies receive an average of $300k in combined funding from the Decarbon8 Fund, Annual Fund, and direct E8 member investment. Beyond capital, selected companies gain access to follow-on investment opportunities, expert engagement, and visibility through E8's investor network, events, and media coverage. This support has helped past portfolio companies raise over $8.4M in co-investment from the E8 community.

Eligible companies must:

• Demonstrate technology that addresses a hard climate resilience problem in grid, water, or food
• Have scaling plans based on well-validated assumptions
• Show a clear path to durable competitive advantage
• Have a leadership team with relevant domain and entrepreneurial experience
• Be at Pre-seed to Series A stage
• Have a funding round accepting investments up to mid-October 2026
• Be incorporated (C-, S-, or B-corp) in the USA or Canada

Solutions may focus on:

• Grid resilience — keeping energy systems running under stress and enabling more decentralized power
• Water security — securing supply through efficiency, monitoring, and distributed treatment
• Food security — enabling climate-adaptive production, distributed inputs, and alternative nutrition sources for a volatile climate

Finalists will be selected in mid-September and invited to pitch E8 for additional investment, with decisions and co-investment opportunities awarded by mid-October.

Applicants will be evaluated by a screening team of climate investors alongside expert judges: Alex Wilkins, Portfolio Manager at Cisco Foundation; Anastasia Telesetsky, Environmental Law Professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Arah Schuur, Research Advisor at Rutgers University and former DOE; and Christine Boyle, Partner at Burnt Island Ventures.

E8 and Decarbon8 are supported by Microsoft, University of Washington, Washington State University, K&L Gates, and CleanTech Alliance. Decarbon8 is administered by 501(c)(3) nonprofit Realize Impact.

Review the RFA and apply at https://www.e8angels.com/decarbon8-us/rfa. The application window closes June 18, 2026.

For media inquiries, contact Karin Kidder: 509-795-0116, 413883@email4pr.com.

About E8: E8 is a membership community of investors funding solutions for a sustainable future. Since 2006, E8 has mobilized over $75M across 180+ early-stage companies building toward a thriving planet. Learn more at https://www.e8angels.com/.

About Decarbon8-US: Decarbon8 is a philanthropic impact fund administered by Realize Impact that invests donations and grants into early-stage climate companies through equity and debt. Founded by E8 in 2020, the fund has deployed $10.4M in combined philanthropic and personal co-investment. Learn more at https://www.e8angels.com/decarbon8-us.

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SOURCE E8